Persona 3 Portable Social Links Guide

A large part of Persona games is in the relationships you make with the different members of your party, and those you encounter in the world. During your protagonists' off time, you'll have a chance to go out with friends, spend time in clubs and activities, and even find love. It's not just enough to check these relationships off like a list but you've got to invest time and effort into them as well as boosting your own stats to be able to progress in them. In this Persona 3 Portable Social Links guide we'll give you all the tips and tricks needed to ensure you're able to complete as many as possible in a single playthrough.

How to start and maintain all Persona 3 Social Links

It's important to constantly be working on each of your Social Links throughout Persona 3 Portable. You will improve these by spending time with each member of the social link but there are also some ways to increase the points you earn which will help you reach Rank 10 with a Social Link more efficiently.

You can enhance the number of points you obtain with any Arcana by doing the following:

• Interacting with the Social Link while you have a Persona of the matching Arcana in your current lineup
• Having Charm level 6

Below is a list of all of the Social Links for the Protagonist and when you'll be able to activate them, what requirements need to be met, and when you can meet with them to further establish your bond. There will be a note if the Social Link is different for the Male or Female protagonist.

-00- Fool Arcana - SEES (Party Members)

• Unlock Requirement: None
• Meeting Times: NA
• Rank 1 - Unlocks on 4/20 after joining SEES
• Important Notes: This is an Arcana that will rank up throughout natural story progression after joining SEES. It is a guaranteed Arcana that you will hit Rank 10 with.

-01- Magician Arcana - Classmate (Kenji Tomochika for Male Protagonist) or (Junpei Iori for Female Protagonist)

• Unlock Requirement: None
• Meeting Times: Free to meet in the classroom on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday when school is in session
• Rank 1 - Automatically unlocks on 4/23

-02- Priestess Arcana - Fuuka Yamagishi

• Unlock Requirement: Courage Level 6 and Fortune Arcana Rank 1
• Meeting Times: Free to meet in the 2nd floor hallway on Monday, Friday, or Saturday when school is in session
• Rank 1 - After meeting the requirements and Fuuka has joined SEES speak with her in the 2nd Floor School hallway.

-03- Empress Arcana - Mitsuru Kirijo

• Unlock Requirement: Academic Level 6
• Meeting Times: Speak with Mitsuru in the day in front of the Faculty Office any day there is school
• Rank 1 - Speak to Mitsuru in front of the Faculty Office on the 1st floor of the school after 9/21. You might need to ask her a few times for it to trigger.

-04- Emperor Arcana - Student Council (Hidetoshi Odagiri)

• Unlock Requirement: Join the Student Council when Mitsuru Kirijo invites you on 4/27.
• Meeting Times: Attend Student Council Meetings on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
• Rank 1 - On 4/27 you will join the Student Council. After being invited go to the Faculty Room to sign up, then return to the 2nd floor to enter the room. (Daytime)

-05- Hierophant Arcana - Old Couple (Bunkichi and Mitsuko)

• Unlock Requirement: When the Bookstore reopens on 4/25 visit it in the Iwatodai Strip Mall.
• Meeting Times: Any day except Sunday
• Rank 1 - The couple will tell you about a persimmon tree, find it on the way to the athletics field in the school and obtain a leaf. Return to the couple after. 
• Important Notes: During the story Bunkichi will get trapped in Tartarus. You'll get a notification that he's stuck in Tartarus on 9/12 and you'll need to save him before 10/04 otherwise you'll no longer be able to progress this Social Link.

-06- Lovers Arcana - Yukari Takeba

• Unlock Requirement: Charm Level 6
• Meeting Times: Free to meet in the classroom on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday when school is in session
• Rank 1 - Speak to Yukari in the classroom after 7/24.

-07- Chariot Arcana - Sport Team (Kazushi Miyamoto for Male Protagonist) or (Rio Iwasaki for Female Protagonist)

• Unlock Requirement: Join one of the sport clubs on 4/23. The Male Protagonist will be able to choose between the Track Team, Fencing Club, or Swim Team. The Female Protagonist will be able to choose between the Tennis Club or Volleyball club.
• Meeting Times: Kazushi can be found inside the classroom during the day, Rio can be found in the hallway outside classroom 2F in the day
• Rank 1 - From the 2-F classroom on 4/24 go downstairs and out the double doors to the left, cross the field and pick a door to join a sport club.

-08- Justice Arcana - Treasurer (Chihiro Fushimi)

• Unlock Requirement: Complete Rank 1 event for the Emperor Arcana, then speak with Chihiro three times in the hallway. Once you speak with her a fourth time this will initiate.
• Meeting Times: You can speak with her in the school 2nd floor hallway on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday in the day.
• Rank 1 - After 5/7 speak with her for the fourth time and this link will initiate.

-09- Hermit Arcana - Maya for Male Protagonist or Saori Hasegawa for Female Protagonist

• Unlock Requirement: For the Male Protagonist interact with your laptop and select 'Play the MMORPG' on or after 4/29, for the Female Protagonist speak with Saori after 5/8 when you join the Health or Library committee
• Meeting Times: For the Male Protagonist you can meet with Maya on Sundays and Holidays, for the Female Protagonist you can meet Saori on the 1st floor in front of the nurses office if you join the Health Committee or on the 2nd floor outside the library if you join the Library committee.
• Rank 1 - Interact with the laptop in your room and select Play the MMORPG on 4/29 or join the Health/Library Committee on 5/8

-10- Fortune Arcana - Keisuke Hiraga for Male Protagonist, or Ryoji Mochizuki for Female Protagonist

• Unlock Requirement: The Male Protagonist can join the Art, Music, or Photography club on 6/17, the Female Protagonist will automatically start the Ryoji Social Link on 9/9
• Meeting Times: Keisuke can be found outside the club that the protagonist joined on the first floor, and Ryoji can be found in the classroom.
• Rank 1 - Join a club as the Male Protagonist to start this Social Link, for the Female Protagonist it will begin automatically

-11- Strength Arcana - Yuko Nishiwaki for Male Protagonist or Koromaru for Female Protagonist

• Unlock Requirement: Must have completed Chariot Rank 3 for Male Protagonist or Priestess Rank 1 for Female Protagonist
• Meeting Times: Yuko can be spoken to on Wednesday and Saturday outside of the classroom, Koromaru is available to talk to every night in the entrance hall of the dorm
• Rank 1 - Achieve the above requirement and interact with Yuko from 4/28 onwards to start this as the Male Protagonist, or interact with Koromaru from 8/15 onwards

-12- Hanged Man Arcana - Girl at the Shrine (Maiko)

• Unlock Requirement: Purchase a Mad Bull from the vending machine on the second floor of the dormitory and Weird Takoyaki from the Takoyaki shop on the 1st floor of the Iwatodai Strip Mall.
• Meeting Times: Can be found at the Naganaki Shrine every day except for Sunday
• Rank 1 - On 5/6 travel to the shrine and talk with the girl, give her the previously purchased items when she asks for food and drink
• Important Information: Maiko will get stuck in Tartarus on 10/21 and must be saved before 11/3 otherwise you will not be able to progress in this social link.

-13- Death Arcana (Mysterious Boy (Pharos)

• Unlock Requirement: None
• Meeting Times: NA
• This Arcana unlocks and ranks up automatically through the story

-14- Temperance Arcana - Transfer Student (Bebe)

• Unlock Requirement: Academics Level 2 and Hierophant Arcana Rank 3
• Meeting Times: Home Economics room on the 2nd floor on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday
• Rank 1 - Complete the above requirement and interact with Bebe in the Home Economics room
• Important Information: You must interact with Bebe before the Third Full Moon otherwise you'll be unable to start this Social Link

-15- Devil Arcana - Businessman (President Tanaka)

• Unlock Requirement: Speak with Tanaka in the Paulownia Mall on 6/23. Male Protagonist must have Charm Level 4 and have completed Hermit Rank 4, and Female Protagonist must have Charm Level 2 and completed Hermit Rank 2. You must have $40,000 total to give to him over three separate days
• Meeting Times: Paulownia Mall at night on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday
• Rank 1 - Begin talking to Tanaka in the Paulownia mall on 6/16 to start paying him nightly to begin the Social Link on 6/23.

-16- Tower Arcana - Unusual Monk (Monk)

• Unlock Requirement: For the Male Protagonist you need to have Strength Rank 4 and then speak with Yuko once more, for the Female Protagonist you need to have Chariot Rank 3 and then speak to Rio once more. You will also need Courage Level 4.
• Meeting Times: Can be spoken to at night time in the bar at Paulownia Mall on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
• Rank 1 - Complete the above requirements and then complete an order at the bar and talk to the monk to start this Arcana.

-17- Star Arcana - Rival Athlete Mamoru Hayase for Male Protagonist or Party Member Akihiko Sanada for Female Protagonist

• Unlock Requirement: None for Male Protagonist, Charm level 4 for Female Protagonist
• Meeting Times: Daytime in the Iwatodai Strip Mall
• Rank 1 - You can meet Mamoru at the Iwatodai Strip Mall from August 9th onwards for the Male Protagonist, and can initiate with Akihiko after the second full moon

-18- Moon Arcana - Gourmet King Nozomi Suemitsu for Male Protagonist or Shinjiro Aragaki for Female Protagonist

• Unlock Requirement: Must have Charm level 3, Magician Arcana Rank 4, and an Odd Morsel from Tartarus in your inventory for Male Protagonist, and no requirements for the female protagonist.
• Meeting Times: Anyday in the Paulownia Mall for Nozomi, and at night on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday for Akihiko
• Rank 1 - Speak to Nozomi, the student sitting on the bench in the Paulownia Mall, after 7/13. Ask him what he's eating and then pass his gourmet quiz. The answers are "Pheromone Coffee", "Green", and "Hagakure Bowl" and then you'll need to give him Rancid Gravy or an Odd Morsel (You can acquire Odd Morsel from Tartarus) for the Male Protagonist, for the Female Protagonist you need to interact with Shinjiro in the dorm lounge

-19- Sun Arcana - Dying Young Man (Akinari Kamiki)

• Unlock Requirement: Have Academics Level 4 and have completed Hanged Man Rank 4.
• Meeting Times: Naganaki Shrine on Sundays
• Rank 1 - The Sunday after encountering him during the Hanged Man event talk with him to learn he's lost a pen, interact with Koromaru (the dog member of your party) in the dorm at night to obtain the pen, and then return it to Akinari on Sunday

-20- Judgement Arcana - Nyx Annihilation Team

• Unlock Requirement: None
• Meeting Times: NA
• Rank 1 - This is a story event that will begin on 12/31 if you decide to continue fighting

-20- Aeon Arcana - Aigis

• Unlock Requirement: None
• Meeting Times: Any day in the classroom
• Rank 1 - Speak to Aigis in the 2-F classroom after 1/8

The best ways to improve your stats in Persona 3 Portable

Your player character will have Charm, Courage, and Academics skills. All can go from level 1 to level 6. 

Here is what you can do to level up each of the stats:

• Charm: 
  • Arcade: Print Club (Night Only) - +4 but costs 1,500 yen
  • Screenshot (Cinema): Romantic Movie - +4
  • Classroom, correct answer - +2
• Courage: 
  • Arcade: Horror game - +4 but costs 3,000 yen
  • School: Clinic - When the party is tired or sick you can drink medicine here for +2​​​​
• Academics: 
  • Arcade: Quiz game - +4 but costs 3,000 yen
  • Screenshot (Cinema): Intellectual movie - +4
  • School Classroom - +2 for not falling asleep
  • Dorm Room: Studying - +2

Your primary focus should be on leveling up your social links but past that you'll want to be checking the arcade nightly to see if the Print Club, Quiz, or Horror games are available. Especially in the early game you have very little else to do at night but it will also mean to keep up the amount of spending you should always be looking to leave Tartarus with anywhere between $80,000 to $100,000.